I have been using Buchmann s design for funnel traps in New Mexico. I leave mine out for two weeks at a time and they do great! There are a few others using

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, Sep 15, 2009

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I have been using Buchmann's design for funnel traps in New Mexico. I
leave mine out for two weeks at a time and they do great! There are a few
others using this style trap. The funnels are spray painted (the tips cut
off to allow larger bees) and rest in a one pint paint can. If you keep
the lid, you can just reuse the same antifreeze over and over until it
gets watered down by rain. I'm not sure how the two methods would
compare. Have you tried the funnel traps? Cheers, karen

> Hi All,
>
> Sam Droege wanted me to pass this on to you:
>
> New Pan Trap Design for Arid, Low Humid Regions
>
> As part of a native pollinator inventory, I have been looking for a
> reliable pan trap method. I initially used two-ounce painted Solo cups
> with soapy water at five sites along an elevational gradient north of
> Flagstaff, Arizona. In order to increase the opportunity to sample a
> higher diversity of species, I decided to leave the traps out for a week.
> I substituted recreational vehicle antifreeze-grade propylene glycol in 12
> ounce plastic bowls since it was obvious soapy water would not last long
> enough. Unfortunately, summer temperatures and low humidity caused the
> bowls to dry up and blow away before a week had expired (I can make
> someone a killer deal on a couple thousand 12 ounce plastic bowls).
> I changed from 12 ounce bowls to 12 ounce heavy plastic âstadium
> cupsâ.
> These ar ethe cups you see given to kids off the kids menu at many
> resturants. Each cup, painted either fluorescent blue or yellow, or left
> white is attached to one-half inch PVC pipe with a five-inch hoop cut from
> a plastic culvert pipe (see photo). The stadium cups are very sturdy and
> are likely to hold up for a long season or two (or three) of sampling. The
> hoop is attached to the PVC pipe with a bolt and lock nut. The pipe slips
> over a piece of rebar set into the ground. The hoop is set high enough so
> the cup rests about three inches above the ground. If desired, a trap
> number can be written on the white plastic hoop. In order not to confuse
> the issue by having insects attracted to the white PVC end up in the blue
> or yellow cup, I painted the tops of holders the appropriate color for the
> cup it would hold. The top of the pipe is plugged to prevent bees from
> crawling down inside and getting trapped. The cups, filled halfway with
> the 50% industrial grade propylene glycol (50 Water:50 propylene glycol)
> easily lasts for a week. The cups do not sit on the hot ground (air
> passes under them) and deeper cup lip and deeper fluid level slows down
> evaporation. I remove the cup from the hoop and dump the sample into a
> sieve. Leftover propylene glycol is collected in a bucket when the sample
> is poured through the sieve. The sieve is dumped into a plastic jar with
> alcohol. I use a funnel used when you add oil to your car (the opening is
> large enough not to get clogged with the sample, I get a lot of big
> Tachinids) to dump the sample finally into a labeled Whirl-Pak. Funnels
> with wide opening can be found at Auto Parts Stores. I also find that
> collecting samples goes much faster if the labels are pre-cut and placed
> in the Whirl-Pak beforehand.
>
>
> Dave Smith
> U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
> 323 N. Leroux St., Suite 101
> Flagstaff, AZ 86001
> (928) 226-0614 x 109
> "Field data is the best cure for a precarious prediction" Dave Rosgen
>

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